Delivery mechanism of a billet-heating furnace.



J. R. GEORGE. DELIVERY MECHANISM OF A BILLET HEATING, FURNACE.

Patented July 11, 1911.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 24, 1908. 997,494.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

[n ven for lffiorney J. R. GEORGE. DELIVERY MECHANISM OF A BILLET HEATING FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED 00124, 1908.

Patented July 11, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

[n mania (Jerome 53. 39$

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JEROME GEORGE, OE WORCESTER, MAS SACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO MORGAN CON- STRUCTION COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

DELIVERY MECHANISM OF A BILLET-HEATING FURNACE. I

citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Delivery Mechanism of a Billet-Heating Furnace, of which the following is a specification, accompanied by drawings forming a part of the same, in which- Figure 1 represents a horizontal sectional.

view of the delivery end of a billet heating furnace with a plan view of a billet deliver- ;heating chamber 2 provided, in the present lng mechanism embodylng my 1nvent1on.-

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the delivery end of the furnace and of my improved billet delivering mechanism on the plane of the broken line 2-2, Fig. 1, showing the billet delivering mechanism at the. time of its engagement with a billet within the furnace. Fig. 3 represents the same vertical sectional view as shown in Fig.2, but with the billet delivering mechanism in position to return a billet to the heating chamber from the furnace, and Fig. lis a de tached view on a larger scale of the billet withdrawing latch.

Similar reference provide the delivery end of the furnace witha mechanically operated withdrawing mechanism by which the heated billets. may

'be individually withdrawn from the fur-' nace at will, and it has for its further object toprovide meansv by which the heated billet may be again returned to the furnace through its delivery opening.

Referring tothe aocompanymg drawings 1 denotes v.abillet heating furnace "having a instance, with twolongitudinal tracks 3 and 4 upon which. two rows of shortbillets may be.supported,-such;as are shown at 5 if desired, both tracks-ma be used, orthe support of a single row 0 long -billets, like those indicated by the broken lines 6. The.

billets are introduced upon the tracks 3 and 4: through the receiving end of the furnace and are advancedalong .the tracks by the ordinar-y pushing mechanism, well known to those skilled in*theart'. 'Whether .one or Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 24, 1908.

letters and figures refer a to similar parts in the different views.

Serial No. 459,372.

two rows of billets are heated, the foremost billet in the row, when .suitably heated, is withdrawn by a mechanically operated withdrawing mechanism actuated, in the present instance, by piston equipped cylinders 7' adapted to the use of steam or water under pressure, and having the usual valves and' operating mechanism by which the action of the cylinder is controlled by an attendant.

The longitudinal tracks on which the billets 'are supported are provided near the delivery end of the furnace with an inclined section 8, 8, over which the foremost billet in the row falls by gravity as the row of billets is pushed forward by a suitable pushing mechanism, such as that usually employed for this purpose in furnaces of this class, causing the foremost billet to roll down the inclined section and become supported upon the lower section of the track,

. as shown at 9; the passage of the billet over the inclined section 8 causing its separation from the remaining billets in the row, and

forming a space between it'and the remain-. ing billets for the insertion of the billet withdrawing mechanism.

The billet withdrawing mechanism =comprises a reciprocating framework having a cross bar 11- suitably supported, in the present instance, upon the longitudinal supporting track. Projecting from the cross bar. 11 are arms 12, 12, in the free ends of which are pivoted the ravity latches 13, 13, which are pivoted'in t eir arms midway their length, and'h'avingone endof the latch heavier than the opposite end by which they arecaused to hang by gravity in a vertical position, with theupper ends 14; of, the latches projecting above the arms 12 and in position to engage the'separated billet 9, as represented' in Fig. 2. In thevertical position of the latches 13,

they contact with a projection 1-5 on the arms v12 ,by which the latches are held fromrotation in one direction so that, when the Patented July 11, 1911.

mechanism is moved .in; the direction of the arrow '16, Figs. 1 and 2, the upperends'. of

.the latches will slide the, billet-Q along"v the i-longitudinal track intoa position upon conveyer rolls 18,, which. are positively ldriven ,bya common driving shaft 19 to convey the billet inthe di'rection'of the arrow 20ltoward the rolls of the rolling mill. By a reverse movement of the withdrawinglmechanism,

the gravity latches are. moved beneath" the succeeding billet which has assumed the position of the billet 9, and, as the latches pass beneath the billet, the contact of their upper ends 11 against the front side of the billet rocating movement of the withdrawing mechanism may be produced by any suitable means such, for example, as that shown in the accompanying drawings, which consists in a rack and pinion connection 21 between the reciprocating frame of the withdrawing mechanism and driving shafts 22, which are rotated in opposite directions by means of rack and pinion mechanisms 23, which are actuated by the piston equipped cylinders 7.

When two rows of short billets are being heated and the billets are to be withdrawn alternately from the rows, the withdrawing -mecl1anisms may be operated alternately from the driving shafts 22 by the alternate operation of the piston equippedcylinders 7. When long billets are being heated, both withdrawing mechanisms may be operated simultaneously, acting upon opposite ends of the same billet, by connecting the shafts 22 by means of the clutch 30.

The delivery opening 26 of the furnace is preferably provided with sliding gravity doors 27, which are opened by an upward movement by means of any suitable lifting mechanism connected with the doors by a chain or cable.

It sometimes occurs that the heated billet after having been deposited upon the conveyer rolls 18 and moved toward the rolls of the mill isprevented from entering the rolls. In such cases the withdrawing mechanism is brought into the position shown in Fig. 3; the motion of'the conveyer rolls 18 is reversed and the heated billet returned to the position shown by the broken lines 28, Fig. 3, and front of the'gravity latches.

The gravity door 27 is then raised and a movement is given to the withdrawing mechanism inthe direction of the arrow 29, Fig. '3, causing the billet to be pushed over its longitudinal track into the heating chamber 2, where its heat may be maintained until the rolling mill is ready to 'recelveit. The shafts 22 are provided with a,clut.ch connection 30 by which they may be united and actuated by one only of the piston equipped cylinders 7, producing a simultaneous movement of the withdrawing mechanisms for the'withdrav'val of long billets, as indicated bythe broken lines 6, Fig. 1. The. usual valve mechanism is employed for controlling the action of the piston equipped cylinders 7, and means now in track having a common use are employed for reversing the motion of the conveyer rolls 18.

The gravity latches 13 are held from rocking while a billet is being pushed into the heating chamber by a pin 81, inserted in the frame of the withdrawing mechanism in front of the lower ends of the latches. By rockinga latch into the position shown by broken lines 32, Fig. 4, and inserting the pin 31 through the hole 33, the latch 18 held in an inoperative position.

I claim,

1. In a billet heating furnace, the combination with a heating chamber provided with a longitudinal track along which a row of billets is advanced and means for separating the advancing billet in the row, of a reciprocating withdrawing mechanism arranged to engage automatically the separated billet, and means for reciprocating saidwithdrawing mechanism at will.

2. In a billet heating furnace, the combination with a heating chamber having a delivery opening and a longitudinal track for the support of a row of heated billets, of means for separating the foremost billet in the row, a reciprocating withdrawing mechanism comprising pivoted latches adapted to engage the separated billet and move it through said delivery opening.

3. In a billet heating furnace, the combination with a heating chamber having an opening for the delivery of heated billets, of a reciprocating withdrawing mechanism movable through said delivery opening, means for reciprocating said withdrawing mechanism, and a latch arranged to hang by gravity in a vertical position for automatically engaging a billet.

4. In a billet heating furnace, the combination witha heating chamber having a support for heated billets, of a reciprocating withdrawing mechanism comprising a pivoted latch, arranged to be rocked on its pivot by its contact with a billet, and to hang by gravity in a vertical position when it is out of contact with a billet.

5. Ina billet heating furnace, the combination with -a heating ,chamber having a delivery: opening and a longitudinal track for the support of heated billets, of a reciproeating. withdrawing mechanism, comprlsing pivoted latches arranged to hang in a verticztl position by gravity, means for limit ing the rocking movement of said latches in one direction, and means for rec procating said withdrawing mechanism to carry said latches beyond abillet held on said track delivery opening and a longitudinal track for the support of heated billets and along which said hea ed'billets are advanced, said inclined section whereby the advancing billet is changed from a higher to a lower level, a withdrawing mechanism comprising means for engaging a billet at said lower level, and means for reciprocating said billet withdrawing mechanism. 4

7. In a billetheating furnace, the combination with a heating chamber having a delivery opening and a longitudinal track in alinement with said opening, of a with drawing mechanism for moving a heated billet along sa1d track and through said delivery opening, comprlsing a reciprocating framework, pivoted latches carried by said framework in a plane below the plane of the supporting surface of said track, with the tips of said latches extending above the plane of the surface of said track, and means for reciprocating said framework.

8. In a billet heating furnace, the combination with a multipl city of longitudinal tracks for the support of billets, of billet withdrawing mechanisms for each of said tracks, and means for the independent operation of each of said withdrawing mechanisms at will.

9. In a billet heating furnace, the combination with a multiplicity of longitudinal tracks for billets, of billet withdrawing mechanisms for each of said tracks, means for the independentoperation of each of said withdrawing mechanisms at will, and a common conveyer arranged to receive the billets from each of said withdrawing mechanisms. a

10. In a heating furnace for metal billets or bars, the combination of a multiplicity of tracks along which the billets are moved toward the delivery end of the furnace, a withdrawing mechanism for each of said tracks, and means for actuating said withdrawing mechanisms either independently or conjointly at will.

11. In a furnace for heating metal billets or bars, the combination wit-h a heating chamber having a delivery opening at one end, of a pair of billet withdrawing mechanisms, a common actuating shaft, and means for engaging said shaft with either of said withdrawingmechanisms at will.

12. In a heating furnace for billets, the combination-with a heating chamber having a delivery opening, of a withdrawing mechanism for withdrawing the heated billets through said opening, and means carried by said withdrawing mechanism for returning the withdrawn billet into the heating chamber.

13. In a billet heating furnace, the combination with a heating chamber having a delivery opening at one end, of a reci rocating frame and pivoted latches carried by said frame, said latches being adapted to engage a billet for withdrawal of a billet and also for the rentrance of abillet through the delivery opening.

14. The combination with the heating 

